CANBERRA (Reuters) - As many as 30 million people are
tipped to switch off lights and televisions around the world to
help fight climate change with 24 cities joining Earth Hour on
March 29, environment group WWF said on Wednesday.

Following last year's Earth Hour in Australia, where 2.2
million Sydneysiders powered-down for an hour, cities including
Atlanta, San Francisco, Bangkok, Ottawa, Dublin, Vancouver,
Montreal and Phoenix have also signed on, WWF said.

They joined Copenhagen and Aarhus, Manila, Fiji's capital
Suva, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Christchurch, Toronto, Odense and
Aalborg, as well as major Australian cities including
Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and the national capital Canberra.

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"If we see the same participation levels around the globe
that we did in Sydney, then we can anticipate more than 30
million people involved," said Andy Ridley, Earth Hour's
executive director.

Earth Hour asks residents in participating cities to switch
off lights and non-essential electrical items for one hour at 8
p.m. to raise awareness of carbon emissions that scientists
blame for causing global warming.

During last year's Sydney event, restaurants used candles
and lights were turned off in homes and major landmarks,
including the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

This year, Ridley said, other iconic buildings to be
plunged into darkness would include San Francisco's Golden Gate
Bridge, Chicago's Sears Tower and Soldier Field Stadium
football ground, as well as the 553-metre CN Tower in Toronto.

"Climate change is a truly global issue and people around
the world are demanding action," he said.

During last year's Earth Hour in Sydney, essential lights
were kept on for safety reasons, including street lights. Power
provider Energy Australia said the event cut electricity
consumption by 10.2 percent.